Of Cupcakes and Bear Cakes
by Jake Nickleby
Summary: Merida and Rapunzel usually love to bake cupcakes together, but Merida is a little hurt this time that Rapunzel doesn't want to try her cake.


Disclaimer: All characters, events, and material related to _Tangled_ are owned by Nathan Greno, Byron Howard, and The Walt Disney Animation Studios. All characters, events, and material related to _Brave _are owned by Brenda Chapman, Pixar Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Pictures. Currently looking for Cover Art commissions.

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><p><span>Testimonials for <em>Eyes<em>:

Thank you to _Staying Aliveee_ for reviewing! Thank you to _Annabelle4.0_, _StoneSondre, TemptressOfTheSouthernIsles_, _Blank Marzan_, _Neikey_, _alexianFireflies_, _LUISBATEMAN_, and _Staying Aliveee_ for adding to your list of Favorite Stories! Thank you to _Neikey_, _LUISBATEMAN_, and _Staying Aliveee_ for adding to your Story Alert! I genuinely appreciate everyone's support.

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><p><span>Of Cupcakes and Bear Cakes<span>

If she were brave enough, Merida would admit to herself that she was hurt by her best friend. Of all the times she had come to visit Dun Broch, Merida thought she would be used to her wild family by now. After all, thugs and ruffians were some of the princess' greatest allies. There really wasn't much of a difference between the two groups. Though that wasn't the part that was bothering Merida.

Rapunzel was acting skittish today, ever since the Scottish lass had offered her to try a bite of her mini cake. The two princesses typically baked cupcakes during their meetings, with at least a dozen made specifically for Merida's triplet brothers. Rapunzel shared her best cupcake recipes that she created with her fiancé, Flynn (or Eugene, as he secretly preferred). This time, Merida wanted to make something of her own creation… something specially for the blonde.

But as soon as Merida presented the sweet, little sponge cake, filled with jam and topped a ripe berry, she couldn't help notice the cringe on the young woman's face. "Oh… Thank you, but… Eugene and I had a very big picnic lunch on our way over, and I'm still _stuffed_!"

"Nah, there's _always_ room for dessert!" Merida proclaimed, thrusting the plate towards her friend. She plastered on her biggest toothy smile, arms stretched out in front of her as she held up the platter. Excess powdered sugar dusted all over her dress, and even her freckled face and red curls. Her mum would have not approved of the mess she made in the kitchen, but that was in the far corner of her mind right now.

"I really shouldn't…" came Rapunzel's timid reply.

"You're not tellin' the truth," Merida said stubbornly. "Out with it. Why won't you try my cake?"

"Well… It's just…" Rapunzel forced out awkwardly, "I don't want to turn into an animal!"

Merida eyed her as if the other princess had sprouted another head. "Ah, _what_?"

Rapunzel's expression changed suddenly, "Well, maybe I'd like to turn into a bird," she pondered. Her hands were positioned above her head, thumbs locked together while she wiggled her other fingers as if they were the fluttering wings of a bird. "Tweet, tweet!"

Merida crept closer to the other princess. "You… thought I was going to feed you a magic spell?" she asked apprehensively.

Rapunzel smiled nervously. "Well…? It's just that your brothers were talking… At _first_ I thought they were making up stories, but then I started to see signs _everywhere_! I mean, did you _really_ turn your mother into a bear?"

"I didn't know it would change her into a _bear_!" the wild haired princess bursted. Then, realizing she had accidentally admitted the truth, Merida let out an anxious chuckle. Rapunzel looked a little shocked at the confession, since she half-expected the legend to be fabricated. Though the other half of her expectancy was unimpressed with her friend's decisiveness. "But I changed her back!" Merida defended.

Rapunzel looked a little crestfallen. "I turned my mother into dust…"

Merida became confused. "Wait, but I met your mum…"

"I mean Mother Gothel, the woman who raised me," she explained. Her expression grew hard and complex, a mixture of hatred and sorrow. "She did some horrible things. Lie, kidnap, murder… I can never forgive her for all of that, but when I think back on all those times when I was a little girl, I can't help but miss her. She was still my mother, in a sense."

Merida stared at her pensively, quiet for a period of time as she thought back on how she wanted to change her fate. Sewing the torn tapestry back together, sneaking her bear mum out of the castle, the cake she had given her mum, the cottage she found in the woods… "That scaffy witch gave me a gammy spell!"

Rapunzel stared at her with wide, skeptical eyes. Once she recovered, she looked apologetic as she admitted, "I guess it was wrong of me to think you'd try to turn me into an animal. Your brothers stole all of the cupcakes we baked, but they all shied away from the cake! I figured they knew something I didn't…"

"Oh, those wee devils!" Merida complained, ready to charge after them, but Rapunzel motioned her to stop.

"You think I could try some of your bear cake?" the princess of Corona requested.

Merida's face brightened. "If I could try your cupcakes."

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><p>The End<p>

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><p><span>Author's Note<span>: This story is based on some of the interactions I've had with Merida, Rapunzel, and Flynn at Disneyland. Meeting the characters is my favorite pastime at the park, because not only do these actors really bring their character to life, but they are the best at improving than any actor in the universe. I use it to my advantage to ask them interesting questions, so I can base headcanons around them.

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><p>12 September 2014<p> 


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